One of the few fighters in the UFC to boast an undefeated record, TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader has faced stiffer competition with each outing in the Octagon. Tomorrow night, he will take on the most highly ranked and highly respected fighter of the lot when he meets Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the co-main event of UFC 119.

Tapology recently caught up with Bader the week before this pivotal fight to discuss his training, his thoughts on Nogueira’s overall game, and his new perspective on how he stacks up against the best of the light heavyweight division.Tapology: Ahead of the biggest fight of your professional career, how do you feel about the pace at which you’ve been brought along in the UFC light heavyweight division?

Bader: I’m absolutely happy. Coming off the show I felt like I was starting back at the bottom of the UFC, had some good fights against some tough opponents until I had a little step up against Keith Jardine. Now I’m fighting a top seven type of guy like Nogueira, so I think I’ve been progressing well and I’m ready to take that next step up in competition.

Tapology: The only TUF veterans who remain relevant in the UFC today have evolved with the sport. Do you feel like you’re a completely different fighter than you were on the show?

Bader: Absolutely. I would say I’m 100% different. On that show I was a young fighter training for two years. I didn’t have the experience in the Octagon. When I go in there now my nerves are calm and I’m not fighting off of emotion. I really felt—maybe in the Schafer and Jardine fights—comfortable and like I could hang with these guys on the feet.

I now have a specific Muay Thai coach and a specific boxing coach, but the main thing is really being comfortable in there and not letting the nerves get to you.

Bader: The guys over at ACS are great, but it felt like we were kind of reaching a plateau there. With our Muay Thai coach and our Jiu-Jitsu coaches, I’ve learned more in three months than I could have in three years otherwise. It will be great for Little Nog, because I’ll know how to strike with him and how to break his game down on the ground.

In the boxing realm, I’ve worked on my jab and right hook, so I’m really comfortable with the way my hands have developed. I continue to get better and better, and in this fight you’re going to see it. I really feel like we’re one of the better groups of guys in MMA right now. We all keep each other motivated and we have that fire burning.

Tapology: Keith Jardine is in the midst of the worst losing streak of his career, but there is no doubt he had the most name recognition of any opponent you had faced to that point. Do you feel like you emerged as a contender with your knockout over him?

Bader: Yeah, before that fight people talked about me as a prospect and after I knocked him out without really using my wrestling in that fight I think people took notice. It obviously got me the fight with Little Nogueira.

Tapology: He has the biggest name and is ranked highest of any opponent in your career to date, but do you feel like he is the best fighter you have faced on a technical level?

Bader: I would say so. I’ve fought people that are great on the ground but maybe lacking in the stand-up department and visa versa, but Nogueira’s great on the feet and on the ground. I’m going out there to face the best Nogueira that’s ever fought. He’s done great over in Pride, beat Dan Henderson and all of that stuff.

Tapology: Anybody can have an off night, but what did you think about his last fight against Jason Brilz? Do you think he had an off night or did Brilz expose some weaknesses in his game that you might be able to exploit?

Bader: Everybody can have an off night, but I think Brilz brought some things to the table that he hasn’t seen. Brilz did a great job of creating scrambles and mixing it up. Nogueira basically lost every scramble in that fight, even on the ground. Brilz dominated the fight with his wrestling and basic kickboxing, so it gave me a good blueprint to work off of and I actually thought he won the fight.

Tapology: Obviously being a Nogueira brother, Rogerio is great on the ground, but he is known more for his boxing than his larger brother. In his fight with Shogun from Pride especially, he got the better of nearly every boxing exchange. Do you see the boxing game as his most potent weapon?

Bader: Yeah I would probably say his boxing. He has a good left knee that he mixes in there, but he’s a good counter puncher. He waits until you come in and then throws hooks with both hands to go around your defenses to hit you. It’s MMA, there are four-ounce gloves and anything can happen. If you have some power, that’s all you need sometimes.

I’m not too worried about his boxing. I can go out there and mix up my boxing with my wrestling. He’s going to have to worry about the takedown along with my punches and my kicks, seeing what the last wrestler he faced did to him. I hit hard and with four-ounce gloves, you can be the best boxer in the world, but if you get hit in the face you could be all done.

I really don’t have a specific game plan, but if I’m getting the better of the stand-up, it’s not worth it for me to take him down and deal with a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. If it’s close, I’ll put him into the cage, mix it up, and create some scrambles. I can rain down some good ground and pound without him catching me in a submission.

Tapology: Both of the Nogueia brothers are known for their ability to absorb damage without being stopped. Do you expect to finish him in this fight?

Bader: No, I don’t expect to finish him, but if it comes then that’s great. I’m going to expect to get the win and I’m going to go out there to finish him, but he survives and he’s a great fighter.

Tapology: It is not likely that the winner of this fight is in the title picture, but do you think it would put you in the thick of the contender’s pack?

Bader: Yeah, absolutely. I think it would put me right up there for a top contender fight after that or two more fights, but I think if I keep winning, three fights including Nogueira I would say definitely I’ll get the shot. You never know, though because it depends on what else is going on in the division.

Tapology: Now that you are a few years removed from The Ultimate Fighter, your name is being thrown around with those of the best light heavyweights in the world. Has your perspective on fighters such as Machida, Rampage, and Evans changed now that they are all probably future opponents for you?

Bader: When I came up wrestling in college I was watching these guys compete and now I’m one fight away from fighting these guys that I thought were unbeatable. Now that I’m in this position I realize that I’m right up there with them. I have tons of respect for them, but I have a job to do and whoever is in front of me, it’s my job to train and beat them. My goal is to have the title one day, so that’s what I’m going to work towards.